come, take my hand
by soybean prophecy
Summary: Todoroki Shouto realized that he didn't know Uraraka Ochako very well at all. Thus, the start of the beginning and the end of their friendship to the development of something more.


**Notes:** hey! so this is a todochako fic (just a heads up!) that I have been writing for awhile and it's my first time writing Todoroki's POV so hopefully i got him a little bit right. also, this probably counts as canon divergence, not really sure haha. please enjoy! if you have any questions, feel free to PM me and ask me if you need any clarifications! i feel that some of this is pretty subtle and the subtext isn't always clear, so feel free to ask me. hope you enjoy :)

 **Disclaimer:** definitely do not own my hero academia.

 **Summary:** Todoroki Shouto realized that he didn't know Uraraka Ochako very well at all. Thus, the start of the beginning and the end of their friendship to the development of something more.

* * *

It all started with a last-minute cancellation.

(8:15 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _I'm really sorry, Todoroki!_

(8:15 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _My fever's gotten worse_

(8:15 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _But I really wanted to see the movie_

(8:16 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _I even tried to sneak out_

(8:16 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _but my mom caught me_

(8:17 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _…ehehehe…she got really mad at me_

(8:17 PM) Izuku Midoriya: _Please enjoy the movie without me!_

"Was that Deku-kun?" Todoroki looked up from the text messages at the sound of Uraraka's concerned but bemused voice. He nodded.

"He's so silly," Uraraka commented fondly, tapping a message into her phone. "I hope he feels better. Deku-kun really wanted to see this movie."

Todoroki nodded again, reaching into his pocket to pull out his ticket. Midoriya had been jabbering for months about the movie, _The_ _Adventures of the All-Mighty All Might_ , and as fate would have it, he got sick the day of the premiere.

"Todoroki-kun? Should we still see the movie without him?" Uraraka asked, tilting her head thoughtfully. "I would feel bad if he felt left out."

"He did say to enjoy the movie," Todoroki pointed out. "It would be a waste if none of us saw it."

Uraraka nodded hesitantly. "Yeah, that's true…We did pay for these tickets, after all…" She trailed off, looking conflicted, before seemingly making up her mind. "Yeah! Let's go enjoy this movie!"

After handing over their tickets to the ticket collector, they entered the main area. "Oh, popcorn!" Uraraka immediately zeroed in on the food stand, waving her arms excitedly. "And candy! What a great place to be!"

She grabbed Todoroki's arm before he could say anything and dragged him over to the line forming around the counter. "They even have ice cream!"

Todoroki watched as she chattered excitedly about the wide variety of food options with mild interest. It was strange to see someone so happy about something as trivial as the snacks that this movie theater offered, but it was amusing, to say the least.

As they got closer to the front of the line, she had picked her top three choices. "Popcorn, for sure. And an ice-cream? Maybe a slurpee! Oh, and—" She immediately deflated.

He had been nodding mindlessly, humming in acknowledgment as she spoke, but the sudden change in demeanor startled him.

"Um, never mind. Let's just head in and get some good seats," she muttered sheepishly, eyes turned downcast. She started to walk away before realizing that Todoroki hadn't moved from his spot in line. "Todoroki-kun?"

"What's wrong, Uraraka?" Todoroki asked blankly. "You really wanted the popcorn."

"Uh…I just realized that it was a tad expensive for me right now and I already paid for the movie ticket and I wasn't really that hungry anyways! So it's really fine and the movie's starting soon and all the good seats will be taken up and—"

"I want the popcorn," Todoroki cut her off. "We can share."

Uraraka watched, stunned, as Todoroki stepped up to the counter and ordered. He returned with a large bucket of popcorn, an ice-cream cone, and a slurpee.

"Here," he passed her the popcorn and the ice-cream.

She recovered before she could drop the food, and hesitantly took a handful of popcorn. "Thank you," she responded, a bright smile slowly forming on her lips.

He nodded lightly, taking a sip of his soda.

It was a nice smile, after all.

As the pair entered the darkened theater and took their seats, Todoroki couldn't help but watch her happily consume the ice-cream cone out of the corner of his grey eye. He hadn't known about her financial situation before, nor had he really paid much attention to her personal life. It was odd realizing that he didn't know Uraraka very well despite eating lunch and doing homework with her, Midoriya, and Iida everyday.

But in that moment, when she was rambling out of nervousness and disappointment, he felt the urge to lift her darkened mood. His dad _was_ the number one hero, so money had never really been a problem for him growing up, anyways.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when a bucket of popcorn bumped the side of his head. He instinctively grabbed it before it could float away, turning to raise an eyebrow at Uraraka. She smiled sheepishly, her hands full with the slurpee and cone. "Sorry," she peered at him with a lopsided grin, looking guilty. "I tried to hold them all at once."

He shook his head, amused, before turning back to the movie.

It was nice getting to know her a little better.

* * *

They get paired up by Aizawa for their next school battle.

For a school like U.A., the training activities can be as extreme as the USJ or as simple as the sports festival. This particular project required the two-person teams to be the last ones standing under a specific time limit. The catch: the room was split into different terrains.

Todoroki glanced over at Uraraka, who was sitting next to him looking increasingly nervous and unsure.

"Let's do our best…yeah?" she offered hesitantly.

It was definitely an interesting match-up that he hadn't expected. He hadn't had much exposure to her anti-gravity quirk, either. Truth be told, he didn't really know if their quirks were compatible, or how they could be used together.

"It looks like the goal is to use the environment to our advantage and work together to either stay hidden or fight," Todoroki mused.

Her eyes widened with realization. "As expected of Todoroki-kun to have figured it out so quickly," she praised. Uraraka suddenly looked fired up, her eyes flashing with determination, surprising him with her quick shift in mood. "I think we can figure it out!"

The next few days were filled with an intensity and unspoken competition between the students in Class 1-A. Bakugou looked especially fierce and explosive as he paraded around the school, sneering at anyone he crossed paths with. Even Midoriya managed to seem even more resolute than usual.

So on the day of the terrain battle, everyone was eager to show off their teamwork and power.

As the starting bell sounded, Todoroki and Uraraka bolted deep into the forest, away from the open clearing. "Todoroki-kun! Right here!" she yelled, grabbing his arm and activating her quirk, floating with him to the higher branches of a particularly tall tree.

Aizawa had stressed teamwork and quick thinking, as he thought some students did extremely well when faced with situations head-on but struggled to work smarter and not necessarily harder (or more explosively, he added pointedly and Bakugou growled in response).

Todoroki was well aware that Bakugou wasn't the only student who used combat as a crutch for thoughtlessness. He had brought it up very early in their discussions of possible game plans. Uraraka, who was very much the type to shy away from head-on fights, suggested that they lay low until confronted with the need for a head-on fight and allowed the others to find and take each other down first.

They landed safely on a branch and climbed over the top layers of leaves to look over the terrain of the battlefield. Uraraka had suggested using her quirk to rise to the nearest tall object and understanding the layout of the room before making other decisions. She thought Todoroki using his ice to fly was too dangerous, as other teams would be able to find traces of their location easily with the amount of evidence he left behind.

With a better view of the whole terrain, Todoroki could now see that the room was split into four sections: a forest, a lake, a rocky mountain, and a desert. The teams had been placed in different areas of the room to start, and he could spot some explosions already happening near the desert area and some freak lightning storms at the lake area.

"We aren't going to be very useful near the lake, and we should probably avoid the desert as well," Todoroki commented. "They're already fighting."

Uraraka nodded in agreement. "Bakugou-kun's going to hunt down as many teams as he can with brute force," she added sagely. "We have to let him do the work for us."

During their team meetings, Todoroki was pleasantly surprised to find how observant and shrewd Uraraka was about understanding people's psyches and reactions to different situations. She had been particularly vocal about what she thought to be the "smartest way to win the battle," which was to piggyback on Bakugou's extremely headstrong nature and his inevitable rivalry with Midoriya.

"Bakugou-kun's not gonna hide," Uraraka had insisted. "He's going to plow around until he finds another team, and basically provide an open invitation to his location. But he's strong, so he'll find a way to break those that he fights head-on."

"Midoriya, on the other hand, is really smart and tactful. He'll find a way to defeat the teams that he encounters. Plus, he has Yaoyaorozu, so they'll be quick and efficient." Todoroki had realized.

"Right," Uraraka had nodded. "And in the end, Bakugou-kun's always unconsciously looking to fight Deku-kun. So that'll bring the final fight right to us," she had finished.

"8 minutes left on the clock," Present Mic's voice boomed through the building. "Only 6 teams left in the running."

"6 teams? Bakugou's relentless," Todoroki muttered under his breath.

Uraraka surveyed the area. "The forest was my first choice to hideout," she stated. "But we really have to watch out for—"

A hawk quickly swooped by, almost hitting Todoroki in the face before he dodged, ice springing from his fingertips and knocking the bird down beneath them.

"—That! They've found us!" Uraraka shouted, pointing in the direction of a distant rumble. "Koda-kun got his animals to find us, and Tokoyami-kun's on our tail!"

Dark Shadow emerged from the forest, heading straight for Todoroki. Uraraka jumped and floated out of the way, as Todoroki felt the beginnings of the flames licking his left arm. "I guess you've forgotten about your weakness, Tokoyami," Todoroki deadpanned. He released a torrent of fire so bright Uraraka had to look away before running toward the clearing out of the forest.

She panted, slowly looking around her.

The rocky mountain area.

It didn't seem inhabited, though.

"They're down," Todoroki stated, running up from behind her. Dark Shadow had been easily incapacitated by his burning fire.

She turned to look at him, before the color started draining from her face.

"Uraraka?" he looked confused at her response, before pivoting to look behind him. The entire forest was burning with bright, orange, angry flames.

"Did you have to burn the entire forest down?" she asked, exasperated. "We have a bigger problem now. They know where we are."

Crap. He didn't really think of that while he was incinerating Tokoyami's team. "There must be something we can do with this terrain," he said, looking around.

Uraraka looked conflicted for a moment, before meeting his eyes determinedly. "I think I have an idea," she said.

* * *

"WHERE IS THAT HALF-AND-HALF BASTARD? I KNOW HE FUCKING BURNED THE FOREST DOWN!" Bakugou entered, screaming. Jirou followed him, sighing to herself. Did he even know the meaning of teamwork?

"Kacchan!" Midoriya's voice forced Bakugou to look over at the newest approaching team.

"DEKU," he spat. "This is MY battle with Half-and-Half. I'll beat you to shit later!"

"3 minutes left," Present Mic's voice came through the speakers. "Final 3 teams!"

"Dammit," Bakugou cursed. There wasn't enough time to look around for Todoroki, especially with Midoriya and Yaoyorozu already on the offensive. "I guess I'll have to kill you first, DEKU!"

As the battle commenced, Uraraka peered at the scene from her position behind a giant boulder situated on the mountain. There wasn't enough time. This had to happen now.

Todoroki moved quietly, stepping closer and closer to the planned position. Almost there. A few more steps—

"Bakugou! Todoroki's right there!" Jirou's earjacks had picked up on his position, bringing both Midoriya and Bakugou out of their heated battle.

Todoroki unleashed his giant ice wall, rising from the ground and heading straight toward a jagged crack in the rocky mountain. It ripped through the rocks, hurling debris and stones everywhere. The giant boulder unhinged, rolling straight toward the four students.

"Full Cowling!"

"DIE!"

Despite being caught off-guard, Bakugou and Midoriya launched themselves at the boulder, exploding and punching through the humongous rock accelerating towards them.

"What the fuck, Icyhot? Was that your final attack?" Bakugou landed, smirking while explosions sparked in his palm.

"NOW!" Uraraka screamed.

Todoroki immediately released the burning fire gathered in his arm, striking and covering the space above Bakugou's head. The inferno enveloped the thousands of pieces of rock and rubble caused by the punch and explosion of the boulder, appearing like an extended family of medium-sized comets floating in space.

Midoriya paled, recognizing what was going to happen next.

Bakugou followed a second later, looking stupefied. "Holy shi—"

"Release!" Uraraka let go of her quirk, causing Todoroki to witness his first ever meteor shower blast his classmates into the ground. It was almost a sort of cognitive dissonance, he thought as he braced himself for the wind whipping from the impact. He had always known her to be cheerful, optimistic, and _soft_ —but the fiery spirit in her eyes as she released her quirk and the sheer brute force of their combined attack sent him reeling. She was simply… _badass_.

"AND TIME'S UP! IN THE MOST IMPRESSIVE ENDING, TEAM TODOROKI AND URARAKA WIN!" Present Mic announced as the buzzer sounded.

As the rubble cleared and the final teams struggled their way through the debris, Todoroki panted, exhausted, as his clothes were ripped and seared. He surveyed the damaged area, finding Uraraka a few feet away, fighting to stand up. She looked battered and worn, and she was holding her stomach, trying not to puke.

Her eyes found his, and she tried to smile. "We won," she said tiredly.

"Yeah, we did," he responded, feeling elated and frankly, a little impressed. He didn't know why he had ever underestimated her.

Bakugou was right. What part of her was frail?

* * *

He started to notice the little things.

"I can't believe midterms are already coming up," Uraraka sighed, placing her head down on her textbook.

"It feels like time is passing by so fast," Midoriya agreed. He closed his notebook and looked at Uraraka, worried. "Are you okay, Uraraka-san? You seem so tired recently…"

She waved a hand dismissively. "I just haven't had much sleep this week. It's nothing," she said, raising her head to grin at Midoriya.

Todoroki glanced up from writing in his notebook, noting that her smile seemed a little strained. She'd been out of sorts lately, with signs of her fatigue showing up everywhere. She had darker eye bags than usual, excessive yawning, trouble focusing, and Todoroki might've even caught her nodding off during class once.

"She's been helping out her parents," Iida supplied helpfully.

"Iida-kun!" she yelled, pouting. "Please don't expose me like that…"

"I'm worried about you," he retorted, waving his arms in a typical Iida fashion. "I know you don't want to trouble anyone but working overtime for your parents while also studying for midterms can be exhausting."

"It's really okay! There's just been too many accidents happening lately. Construction waits for no one," she smiled wryly. "I just haven't had much time to study. But I don't want to drop ranks, since I studied so hard on the last exam."

Midoriya beamed at her. "You've improved a lot already. You're rank 7 now, right?"

"BRAVO!" Iida clapped enthusiastically. "That's so cool, Uraraka-san!"

Uraraka laughed, cheeks flushing prettily. "I'm just worried about the quirk policy chapters. I can't remember any of these policies to save my life."

"I can help you with those."

Three heads swiveled around to face Todoroki, who was calmly flipping a page in his notebook.

"He does know those like the back of his hand," Midoriya stated slowly, eyeing him with a peculiar look.

Uraraka peered at him, eyes widened. "Really?"

Todoroki nodded coolly. "I grew up learning them."

"Thank you so much! It'll really save me," she clapped excitedly, smiling widely.

He shrugged, handing her a sheet of paper ripped out of his notebook. "You can ask me if you have any questions."

"Wow, these notes are so detailed!" she pored over the paper while squinting at his neat handwriting.

"As expected of Todoroki," Iida chortled.

As he watched her praise his note-taking skills, he couldn't help the odd feeling of fondness that rushed through him. She was amazing in some ways, always putting her parents first and never allowing the stress to get in the way of her goals. At the core of her being, she was earnest and hardworking, and she didn't want to burden others with her troubles. He thought it was admirable.

He felt a soft touch on his hand, causing him to look up in alarm.

"Thank you, Todoroki-kun," she smiled gratefully.

It was still a nice smile.

* * *

He'd always had a hard time being vulnerable.

To Todoroki, being emotional never solved anything—it didn't help him become stronger. It didn't save him from his father's abuse.

He didn't see the worth in understanding personal emotions. It was just easier to lock it all away, until learning that lesson in his battle with Midoriya during the sports festival their first year. In a way, it was cathartic finally letting out his fire, and he'd only grown stronger since.

His relationship with Endeavor was slowly improving, as well. But understanding his conflicted feelings toward his dad and working to repair the damage that had been done was still a long time coming, he knew. It was difficult to forgive him for certain misdemeanors that he had committed, and Todoroki still felt stiff and distant in his presence at times.

The hospital hallway was generally empty around this time of day, as visiting hours were coming to an end. Leaning outside the hospital corridor, Todoroki sunk slowly onto the floor, his hands forming fists. His father was slowly redeeming himself, but there were still sore spots that Todoroki didn't know if he could ever forgive him for. There were still parts of him that were angry and bitter.

"Todoroki-kun?"

He looked up to see Uraraka standing in front of him, seeming puzzled by their coincidental meeting. He furrowed his brow in concern. What was she doing here? Was she okay?

"I was just visiting my dad," she explained, seeing the question in his eyes. "He got scraped by some heavy machinery, but he's fine." She paused, realizing that he was slumped on the floor in the hospital. "What are you doing here, Todoroki-kun? Is everything okay?" she asked worriedly.

"I was visiting my mother."

"Oh," Uraraka seemed surprised by his answer. He rarely mentioned his family. "How is she?"

"She's good," he swallowed, staring at the tiled floor. "She's getting released tomorrow."

"That's great! I'm glad she's doing well," she cheered, before noticing Todoroki's downcast stance. She sobered up immediately. "Is there something else?"

Todoroki didn't reply, eyes still locked on the floor in front of him.

Uraraka slid down next to him, bumping his shoulder lightly and patting his arm in reassurance. "Todoroki-kun, please talk to me. What's wrong?" she asked kindly. There was something warm in her voice and it felt strangely familiar.

"She'll be home again," he started, but hesitated. He didn't know if he could do this.

Uraraka smiled at him encouragingly, her hand resting gently on his shoulder for comfort.

"My dad only ever cared about beating All Might," he started dully. He recounted his lonely childhood to the familial abuse, to never being able to spend time with his siblings, to leaning too much on his mother. He talked about how his mom couldn't handle the mistreatment, how much she suffered, how much she couldn't bear to see his left side. How she ended up in the hospital, and he with a permanent scar.

Todoroki watched the myriad of emotions appear on Uraraka's face, from shock to pain to indignant anger.

"I don't—" he finally stopped, letting out a choked breath. _I don't want him to hurt her anymore. I don't know if I'm strong enough to protect her. I don't know if he's—_

"I know," she interrupted gently, saving him from the angry, conflicted tears beginning to well up in his eyes. "But you think he's changed, right? You've for better or for worse chosen to forgive him, and that choice has made you stronger. Believe in yourself, _because you chose to believe in him_."

He looked at her in awe.

Uraraka reached for him, and he allowed himself to be pulled into a loose hug. "I believe in you, Todoroki-kun."

As she enveloped him with warmth, he thought about what it meant to have people that cared about you. People that believed in you. People that saw hope and goodness in you when you couldn't.

He didn't know if he could ever forgive his father fully. But he knew that healing started somewhere, and that realization made something bloom in his chest. He felt lighter than he ever had before.

He had hope.

* * *

In celebrating the end of each school year, U.A would hold a festival.

It was one of the more casual events, and was even open to the public. It mostly served as a way to help students unwind after a rigorous year. Class 1-A decided to go to the festival together, to eat and have fun before summer break.

Aizawa had set up a blanket on a grassy area near the booths, and the students broke off into groups to grab food and enjoy themselves.

"Ah, it's so good," Midoriya exclaimed, devouring his katsudon. "I haven't had this in so long!"

"It is your favorite," Uraraka laughed. She was laying sprawled on the blanket, her hair splayed around her head like a halo.

"This okonomiyaki is good, too," Iida interjected as he chewed. "Are you hungry, Uraraka?"

She sat up and tapped a finger on her cheek, thoughtfully biting her lip. "I am craving some takoyaki," she said.

"There's a takoyaki stand just around the corner," Todoroki supplied helpfully, tending to his plate of yakisoba.

Uraraka stood, dusting herself off. "I'll be right back, then!" she said, waving at the other three.

Midoriya and Iida responded in confirmation, before resuming their conversation about how excited they were for summer break. As Todoroki listened to their conversation, casually inputting answers when he was addressed, he thought about how far they've come as classmates—as friends—together. It was already the end of their second year, and he'd come to recognize Class 1-A as significant people in his life that he cared for and respected.

Midoriya was his best friend. He'd taught him so much about what it meant to be a hero, and what it meant to be the best person that he could be. He was brave and strong and so, so kind that it made Todoroki want to be better, too. There was a time in his life where all he could see was resentment and rage and Midoriya grasped his hand and pulled him into the light. He could not be who he was today without Midoriya, and for that, he was eternally grateful.

Iida was a very good friend that was so incredibly earnest and well-intentioned that it amazed Todoroki. He always worked his hardest and aimed for the top, even when it seemed impossible. He was well-respected and courageous, and he taught Todoroki the meaning of valor in the face of hopelessness.

And then there was Uraraka.

She was definitely not what he'd expected when they first became acquaintances. She was enthusiastic and genuine and incredibly warmhearted. She was compassionate and gentle but could still kick ass when she wanted to. She was—

"What's all the commotion over there?" Midoriya's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. The other students situated on the blanket were watching the event curiously.

"I don't know," Iida answered as he tried to look past the crowd forming around the corner. "Isn't that the takoyaki stand Uraraka went to?"

The three exchanged looks with concern and stood up immediately, jogging over to the group of people gathered around the stand. As they approached, they saw Uraraka standing, slouched over and biting her lip shamefully, in front of what Todoroki presumed to be the shop owner.

"It isn't enough that heroes take all of my money, but now they take all of my food, too?" he spat in disgust as she trembled before him, clutching her wallet loosely.

"I didn't—I—I didn't have enough money—I'm sorry," she choked. "I didn't mean—to order without—without paying—"

"You didn't have enough money? You didn't have _enough money_?" he whispered intensely, looking absolutely furious. "All you heroes ever care about is the fucking money! You think heroes save people because they care? Fat fucking chance!"

Uraraka stared at the ground, feeling berated and ashamed. She thought she'd had enough for an order of takoyaki, but she forgot that she had spent more than she was supposed to while shopping with Tsuyu last week.

The owner's glare turned vicious. "Or maybe mommy and daddy were too poor to pay for their precious upcoming hero?"

Todoroki clenched his fists, watching Uraraka bite her lip to hold back the tears. It was too close to home, and he knew how much it hurt to have her financial situation thrown in her face.

"Who the fuck are you?" Todoroki turned to see Bakugou snarling while approaching the store owner. "Who the fuck said you could talk to her like that?"

"Mind your own fucking business," the man responded nastily, waving him away dismissively.

"WHAT THE FU—"

"Bakugou-kun, _please._ "

Bakugou stopped immediately, looking at her bowed head incredulously. What the fuck?

"Please don't," she murmured to him quietly, before turning to face the shop owner resolutely. "I'm really sorry. Please forgive me," she bowed respectfully, but Todoroki could see her eyes were wet with unshed tears.

"Fine. Get out of my sight," the man commanded, turning away from her like she was some kind of disease. "You're a fucking eyesore."

"I'm so sorry," was all she could choke out before she bolted away from the stand.

Todoroki moved to follow, but Midoriya, who was frozen for the entire exchange, immediately recovered and sprinted after her. Todoroki let out a strained breath, but he felt a little better knowing that Midoriya would know how to comfort her.

Bakugou looked conflicted as well, staring at the direction where Uraraka ran off. "Whatever," he growled, pinning the owner with a murderous glare as he walked off.

As the crowd started to disperse, the store owner dusted his apron irately, his foul expression still plastered on his face. "Fucking hero kids these days," he hissed with venom. "Think they're hot shit."

"Yeah," a customer nearby snickered. "You're too nice to 'em," he said, patting the owner's shoulder supportively. "They need some sense beaten into 'em, yanno what I mean?"

Todoroki's eyes narrowed dangerously.

The store owner's feral grin turned wicked. "She was hot, though," He licked his lips, face contorting even further. "I'd still fuck that slut."

He saw red.

Before he could even think, he had lunged forward and swung at the stupid grin on the shop owner's face and smacked him straight in the nose, forcefully knocking him to the floor. The man flopped ungracefully onto the ground, clutching his bleeding nose and looking up at his enraged form, terrified. Todoroki moved to swing again—

"Todoroki! Stop!" Iida bolted to restrain him, struggling to hold him still before he made contact.

He didn't lose his temper often.

But today, all Todoroki could see was red. _I'd still fuck that slut._ He could feel the fury pulsing through his veins and he was so close to activating his quirk (how would that sick man like to be slashed by ice and then set on fire?)

"He isn't worth it," Iida declared, eyeing the man on the ground with barely concealed distaste. "There will always be filth at the bottom of the food chain. Let's go, Todoroki."

Todoroki glowered down at the petrified man. "You're despicable."

The store owner scrambled up to his feet, still gripping his—no doubt—broken nose tightly. "You'll—you'll hear from my lawyers!" he yelled as they stalked away, and Todoroki whirled around with one last scathing glare that made the man finally shut up.

As they returned to their earlier spot on the blanket, Todoroki closed his eyes and took a deep breath, allowing the tension to slowly seep out of his body. His vision began to clear as he came back to his senses while the rage gradually diminished, leaving him with a mild migraine.

As he finished cooling down, he spotted Midoriya making his way over, panting heavily.

"How is she? Is she okay?" Iida questioned worriedly and gestured wildly in a panicked manner as Midoriya approached.

Midoriya averted his eyes, looking disappointed and slightly guilty. "She said she wanted to be left alone. I tried—I really did—but she said she was just going to get some air," he sighed. "She said she'd be back in a bit." He glanced up, finally noticing Todoroki's bruised fist and the heavy atmosphere surrounding the other two. "What the—what happened?" he asked, eyes widened in shock.

After explaining the situation to Midoriya (who was both parts disgusted and equally furious), the three of them decided to rejoin the festivities in hopes of ending the day on a positive note. It was best to leave Uraraka alone for now. She'd be back when she was ready.

* * *

It wasn't until sundown that Todoroki saw her again, wearing a happy smile and munching on a sweet Japanese dessert.

He had been flexing his hand, thinking about the consequences of hitting a civilian to defend a friend. It wasn't exactly a feeling of regret, although it did make him think about what it meant to be a hero. Was it the right thing to do, when he knew violence was "never the answer"? But he had been so angry—and he hadn't been that angry in a long time—and his body just moved on its own accord.

"Todoroki-kun," she greeted cheerfully, and he watched at her apprehensively as she waved and approached him.

She seemed okay—actually, better than okay. Her wide beam didn't seem fake, either, which puzzled him. "Deku-kun said you were here." She gestured to the empty bench he was sitting on, bemused by his aloofness.

He eyed her warily, but relaxed when she sat down and took a big bite of dango gleefully. She seemed to be back to her normal self. "I just needed some space to think. Are you…" he paused carefully, before finishing, "alright?"

Uraraka hesitated for a second and nodded lightly. "I think there was a lot to learn—and a good look at my own faults and motivations," she answered, before shooting him a sheepish smile. "Plus, I definitely have some questionable spending habits, and that's not fair to my parents."

"Nothing he said about you was true, you know," he pointed out. "You aren't defined by the amount of money you have."

She leaned back against the bench, looking skyward. "I know," she replied, suddenly straightening up and making firm eye contact with him. "But people like that only make me want to be a better hero." She grinned at him with new sort of determination flickering in her eyes.

Todoroki felt his lips curl up into a soft smile. He was sort of proud of her for not letting this bring her down and instead making her stronger.

"Plus," she continued, swinging her legs happily. "Bakugou-kun cheered me up in his own weird aggressive way," She chuckled lightly to herself. "But it was nice."

Bakugou? He did rise to her defense earlier. Were Bakugou and Uraraka close?

Todoroki felt strangely put out, but he shook it off. He should be happy that Uraraka felt better. "Hm," he replied flatly.

She seemed to notice his less than enthusiastic response and tilted her head delicately to look directly at him. "Thank you for what you did," she said, and there were glimmers of something else in her smile.

Todoroki looked taken aback.

"Deku-kun told me what you did," she said. "Thank you for standing up for me," she placed a hand on his shoulder affectionately, her smile growing even wider.

And in that moment, the dull ache in his hand subsided.

It was worth protecting her smile.

* * *

Before he even realized it, she had become one of the most important people in his life.

He came to the startling realization one day when they were hanging out together the summer before the start of their third year.

"Why do you do that when you eat noodles?" Uraraka poked him playfully, pointing at the soba curled carefully around his chopsticks.

"Do what?" He asked, staring at her inquisitively.

"This," She made a show of twirling her noodles obnoxiously around her chopsticks in a circular fashion. "You only do it with soba, too. You're so weird," she laughed merrily, taking a large bite of her clump of noodles.

"That's just the way I eat soba," he replied, swallowing his own clump of noodles. He quirked an eyebrow at her. "Did you know," he inquired lightly. "that whenever you ask for something, you look at your left or right, but never directly at the person?"

Uraraka looked surprised. "Do I do that?"

"Yeah," he intoned. "It's almost like you're too shy to ask."

She puffed her cheeks, sticking out her tongue childishly. "I definitely don't do that! Try me right now," she challenged.

Todoroki placed his hand under his chin impassively, waiting patiently for her to steel herself.

"Todoroki-kun," she started. "Can you please pass me the tea?" Her eyes met his for a second, before quickly darting to the side.

"Ah," he pointed out flatly. "There it is."

Uraraka deflated, shooting him a glare. "I just don't like bothering people," she muttered, pouting in embarrassment. "Of course you'd tease me about this," She commented, facial features twisted in fake annoyance. "I know you too well."

He gawked at her in mock betrayal. "What do you even know about me?"

As she swirled her soba, her joking manner turned thoughtful. "A lot, actually. I know your favorite food is soba, but specifically zaru soba, because you always like cold better than hot. I know you hate waking up early in the morning, but you're so used to it because your dad has been making you do it for years. But if we have a rare day to sleep in, you'll sleep 'til the sun sets, I swear," she giggled, clearly reminiscing. "Plus, you're super grumpy before 9 AM. Oh, and you avoid handshakes as much as you can! You say it's because you're left-handed and you don't like using your left side to do anything, which was probably true before, but now I suspect it's because you're super awkward and don't know how to shake hands correctly!" She snickered at his apparent social ineptitude.

"Even though you aren't always comfortable in social situations, you're the first to notice and help out others. You're really observant and kind that way," her voice softened noticeably. Uraraka put down her chopsticks and pinned him with a serious, affectionate gaze. "You're also a great listener and extremely thoughtful, even though you probably don't think so. You always strive to be better and better, and you've become so strong. You're just—you're such a good person, Todoroki-kun."

He was struck with an overwhelming feeling in his chest. It was so strange—when had she known so much about him?

And suddenly, he was jolted by the realization that he knew just as much about her.

She was Uraraka. She sang crazy off-pitch and at the top of her lungs whenever she had her headphones in since Midoriya had gotten her a noise-canceling pair for Christmas last year. She loved starry skies and enjoyed forcing her friends to go stargazing with her. She was a classic example of a compulsive hoarder because she couldn't bear to part with anything anyone gave her, and it was only exacerbated by the fact that she gave every object she owned a ridiculous name. Her personality was only rivaled by the brightness and warmth of the sun, and she was so nice and inviting that one time she'd accidentally invited the entirety of Class 1-A, Class 1-B, and the General Class to an outing meant for just her and Iida.

She had this gravitational pull not unlike her quirk that attracted even the farthest floating planets to her orbit.

And like the sun, she slowly became a constant presence in his life, continuously spreading her sunshine as far as light could touch. He felt a staggering wave of something he couldn't even begin to comprehend, and all he could think was: _is this what it felt like to be known and accepted and loved?_

"Todoroki-kun? Are you okay?"

As he watched her bite her lip self-consciously, he realized that he had been staring at her rather intensely.

"Uh, Todoroki-kun—"

"Call me Shouto."

Uraraka's jaw dropped. She was dumbfounded. "What?"

"Call me Shouto," he repeated. "You're…very important to me."

At his explanation, she reddened and ducked her head down, looking even more nervous than she did before. "You can call me Ochako, too," she responded shyly, fiddling with her fingers intently.

He felt as light as air. It'd been so long since he'd been able to feel so connected to someone, especially someone as bright and kind as Urara—Ochako. And in that moment, it hit him. That strange, familiar, warm feeling that she emanated. It felt like… _home_.

The last time he felt this warm was when Fuyumi stepped in to care for him as their mother was treated at the hospital, holding him close and gently patting his back. He felt safe; he felt comforted. It was a feeling he had only associated with his elder sister.

Ochako brushed a stray hair out of her face and slowly raised her head to look at him, appearing oddly jittery. There was a soft look of fondness in her eyes as she opened her mouth to speak.

"Shouto-kun, I—"

He was reminded of Fuyumi's gentle demeanor and her ability to make him feel like he was right where he belonged.

"You remind me of my sister," he blurted out before he could stop himself.

She recoiled as if she'd been slapped.

Todoroki immediately scrutinized her in concern, noting her sudden inability to look him in the eye. Had he said something wrong? He then realized that she didn't know much about his relationship with his family other than his less than friendly connection with his father. She must've assumed that he had estranged his entire family, and the comment about his sister was an insult.

"Don't worry, it's a good thing," he quickly amended. "We have a good relationship. She's an amazing person."

Ochako smiled, but it seemed tight. "No, I understand," she responded almost resignedly. Forced cheeriness returned to her voice as she added, "I'd like to meet her one day!"

Something seemed off, but Ochako looked determined to be optimistic and cheerful during the rest of the meal. He tried to mention it a few times, but she just shook her head and called him silly.

As they bid each other goodbye, he kept sensing like there was something missing in her smile and in her laughter throughout the duration of their walk home. It was puzzling because she had reassured him multiple times, but he still felt it deep in his gut.

He arrived home with an uneasy feeling that told him there was going to be trouble.

* * *

The puzzle pieces started to fall together.

Todoroki slid the classroom door open, greeted with the unusually excited chatter of Class 1-A surrounding him as he silently made his way to his desk. He walked past the group of giggling girls, catching the words "social" and "dance" amidst the shrieks and raucous laughter.

Oh, right. U.A. held two socials throughout the year, one at the beginning and one at the end. This was their senior year and therefore their last so-called "homecoming" dance before graduation, and the class was obviously eager to enjoy it to the fullest.

"Kaminari finally asked you, Kyoka? It's about time!" Mina's voice could be heard from across the room.

"Oh, as if Kirishima didn't ask you already!" Jirou shot back without missing a beat.

"There's no need for the sass," Mina pouted, waving her hands dismissively. "By the way, we need to get Toru to ask Ojiro before she gets cold feet."

"Hey!" Hakagure's invisible form shifted indignantly.

Todoroki sat in his seat, looking bored with an arm propped up against his chin. He never really understood the hype of "asking people to the dance," mostly because he never had to think about it much. Ochako had asked him the last few times and because they were close friends, it was almost assumed that they would go together.

"Good morning, Todoroki!" Todoroki lifted his head to see Iida making chopping motions with his hands in the seat next to him.

He made a noncommittal noise in his throat in greeting. "Hey."

"Everyone's excited about the dance next week," Iida noticed, observing the other students huddled together. He smiled widely, spots of red appearing on his cheeks. "I managed to ask Mei yesterday."

Todoroki nodded in a congratulatory manner. Iida and Hatsume Mei had become extremely good friends after they had worked on a hero suit project together their second year and she'd offered to make adjustments to his suit thereafter. They were both a little eccentric but diligent and passionate people, and in his opinion, it was an unexpected but remarkable friendship.

Iida filled him in on the details of the new project they'd been working on together while he nonchalantly hummed in acknowledgment.

"Ochako! Asui!"

Todoroki glanced up at the door to see the newcomers join the group of girls clustered in the front of the room. The girls immediately started their interrogation.

"Did you ask him, Asui?" Mina asked in what she thought was a hushed whisper.

Tsuyu nodded, her tongue lolling out briefly.

"Did he say yes?" Hakagure questioned in obvious anticipation.

Tsuyu hesitated, and then nodded again, cheeks reddening slightly.

The girls squealed loudly, hugging and congratulating Tsuyu, who had turned fuchsia through the commotion. After a few minutes of embarrassing Tsuyu, the girls rounded up on the last member.

Ochako peered at them in mild fright and confusion, putting on an innocent smile.

"I heard from a little birdie that you got yourself a date already. And don't give me that 'I-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about' smile!" Mina narrowed her eyes at Ochako, while wagging her finger.

Jirou gave Mina a weird look, her earphone jacks swirling around her shoulders. "What are you talking about? Of course she has a date already. She always goes with Todoroki."

"No, I heard it's someone else," Yaoyorozu interjected thoughtfully.

All eyes swiveled onto Ochako, who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

"What? Who?" Hakagure gasped.

"Bakugou," Yaoyorozu answered.

There was silence.

"WHAAAAT?! BAKUGOU?!" Mina and Hakagure were screeching while Yaoyorozu tried to calm them down to no avail. Even Jirou looked shocked.

Todoroki sat up straight in his chair immediately, zeroing in on Ochako's uncomfortable facial expression.

What?

Mina waved her arms around wildly, appearing to be extremely concerned. "Wait, I don't understand. What about—?"

Tsuyu gave a firm shake of the head, and Mina abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

"I asked him during our spar yesterday," Ochako explained quietly. "He was a jerk as usual, but he agreed to go with me."

What?

The girls paused, taking in her downcast mood and switched gears, showering her with compliments and congratulations instead. Ochako looked grateful, her cheery self returning for a moment as she joined the girls in a new discussion on dresses.

Todoroki was still processing this information when Iida waved a hand to get his attention. "Todoroki, are you okay?"

He blinked in response, staring hard at the desk in front of him. "Yeah."

Iida eyed him but he didn't notice, too busy scrutinizing his right palm as it opened and closed.

This didn't make sense. It didn't—there was just—nothing made sense.

As Aizawa cleared his throat loudly and the classroom noise died down, it dawned on him.

 _She asked Bakugou_.

* * *

He felt irritable the rest of the day, deflecting Midoriya's concerned gazes and choosing to sit by himself during lunch for the first time in years.

There was no logical explanation for his behavior. He just felt tired, adjusting back to the school schedule. It'd only been the second week, after all. His father had been extra pushy as well, and it was starting to give him a headache.

Yes, that was it. He just needed some time alone to clear his head. Bad moods come and go, and he just had to wait for it to pass.

Except it didn't.

The weekend was quickly approaching and his mood had only worsened over the past few days. He had to get to the bottom of it.

He lied in bed, staring at the ceiling, as his thoughts wandered back to Ochako. He had avoided her throughout the week, unable to feel normal around her. Everytime he saw her, there was a tightening in his chest that he couldn't explain and it frustrated him to no end.

Todoroki sighed, draping an arm over his face in muted defeat. This was difficult. In all honesty, he could admit that he felt a little betrayed. She hadn't given him any indication that she wanted to ask someone else and he had taken her for granted.

It was mostly disappointment, buried deep in his stomach. She had no obligation to ask him. She could ask whoever she wanted to the dance. They were friends, and friends were happy for each other. He should be happy that she found someone she really wanted to invite—someone she... _liked_.

Did she like Bakugou? He didn't know. But he knew that he should feel happy for her; he should feel elated that she considered someone this important to her.

He turned on his side, settling into his blankets resolutely.

It was okay.

He figured it out.

There was no reason to be upset.

(Then why didn't it feel okay?)

* * *

He made an effort to act normal the next day, choosing to ignore the growing conflict inside of him. Midoriya sent him suspicious looks but he pretended not to notice.

"I'm excited for tomorrow's hangout," Ochako cheered enthusiastically as the students were dismissed from class. "I love the zoo!"

Despite the inner turmoil built up this week, Todoroki had not forgotten their trip to the zoo this weekend. He was looking forward to spending a day with Midoriya, Iida, and Ochako to take his mind off the increasing emotional weight burdening his shoulders and chest.

"I will check the weather and let you all know what to wear tomorrow morning!" Iida adjusted his glasses and raised a finger assertively.

Midoriya laughed good-naturedly in response.

As the three of them chattered about the trip, Todoroki glanced around the room, catching Bakugou's eyes fixated on Ochako.

Bakugou had finished packing his bag and seemed to be leaving, but his gaze was fixed on her animated exchange with Midoriya.

It stirred up something in the pit of his stomach and the tightness was back in his chest.

Looking up, Ochako noticed Bakugou's stare and waved him over cheerfully, slapping his shoulder as he grumbled his way to their group.

His throat constricted painfully.

"I invited Bakugou-kun to our outing," she informed with a teasing smile aimed at Bakugou's obvious discomfort.

The mention of Bakugou's name paired with her smile made him feel like his lungs were being squeezed so hard he couldn't breathe.

She stifled a laugh, continuing, "I hope you guys don't mind—"

"I'm not going."

All eyes snapped to Todoroki at his cold response.

Ochako froze, shocked. There was a flash of pain written on her face but she recovered quickly, putting on a stiff smile. "Oh, um, that's too bad…"

Bakugou glared at him and Todoroki glared back, still finding it difficult to breathe properly. Why did it hurt so much?

"Whatever. Let's go, Round Face. I have to get Shitty Hair home before he gets lost," Bakugou barked, grabbing her by the wrist.

"Oh, yeah," she murmured, eyes downcast. She lifted her eyes and met his briefly and Todoroki flinched at the distress reflected through them.

As she left with Bakugou, Todoroki felt the unbearable tightness slowly washing away only to recognize the wave of regret pulsing through his body. He had hurt her feelings, he knew.

He suddenly felt awful.

"Todoroki," Midoriya frowned, giving him a serious look. It looked like Midoriya wanted to say more, but he decided to stay silent.

Iida sent him a final pointed glance, and beckoned towards the door.

Todoroki followed after them, hands buried deep into his pockets and shoulders slouched in subdued frustration.

He got the message. _You better think about what happened and apologize_.

* * *

Todoroki let out one last wall of ice, piercing through the final dummy target as he caught his breath harshly. It was Sunday night and he thought training at the gym in the dorms would help release the disappointment and frustration he'd been battling all weekend.

He had holed himself up in his room and stared blankly at his ceiling for hours, thoughts swirling endlessly without conclusion. He was really going to develop a migraine problem.

Surveying the tattered walls and damaged floor, he stood up, brushing debris off his uniform, and made his way toward his bag to pack up. He'd made a mess, but it didn't do much but cool off a little of his repressed anger.

"Feel better, half-and-half?"

Todoroki raised his head to look at the door, finding Bakugou leaned against the doorway with his bag slung across his shoulder.

He turned away and avoided eye contact, silently continuing to pack his own bag.

Bakugou strode over, his hands in his pockets and a neutral expression on his face. His eyes narrowed minutely. "You should apologize."

Todoroki stared intently at his hands, balled up tightly into fists. "I know."

"No, you don't fucking know," Bakugou glared roughly, voice crescendoing slowly into a loud snarl. "She planned that stupid fucking trip and she was looking forward to spending it with you, bastard. Now she feels like a fucking loser because your rejection was as cold as half your fucking quirk."

Todoroki closed his eyes briefly, wincing at the cutting edge of Bakugou's words. His stomach was dropping into that familiar feeling of guilt—but he just couldn't find the words. He still didn't know what to say to her.

"You hurt her fucking feelings," Bakugou exploded his palms in rage, growling like a large guard dog. "And she thinks you're fucking mad at her when you're actually just fucking mad at yourself!"

And immediately after the words exited his mouth, Bakugou's expression deflated into something that resembled pained. The sparks in his fists died down. Todoroki had never seen him look so small—so powerlessly vulnerable—in the two years that he'd known Bakugou.

"She deserves better," Bakugou uttered softly out of the side of his mouth, the indignant rage gradually disappearing from his red eyes. His features twisted into something Todoroki had never seen before: he looked so torn—but ultimately resigned.

It was a punch to the gut, and Todoroki finally realized.

Bakugou cared for Ochako.

Bakugou _liked_ Ochako.

It made sense. The fact that he agreed to go to the dance with her despite vehemently loathing "those dumbass fancy-for-fucking-nothing school events" (exact quote) and that he went out of his way to confront Todoroki about hurting her feelings was sufficient proof.

And Ochako probably felt the same way.

The realization stung. The tight feeling was back in his chest, but this time it was accompanied with a prickling sensation in the area suspiciously close to his heart.

Why did it hurt so much?

Friends should be happy for each other. Todoroki should throw her a party to celebrate the newfound budding relationship between her and Bakugou.

But he wasn't happy.

Why?

Did he—?

No. It didn't matter, anyway. What mattered was how Ochako felt. They were friends, and friends didn't hurt each other.

He didn't deserve her friendship.

"I know," Todoroki's shoulders loosened defeatedly. "I don't deserve her."

The fire in Bakugou's eyes relit, his teeth bared in a growl. "Then fucking man up and give her what she deserves, you fucking moron," he grabbed Todoroki by the collar and hissed in his face, "You better fucking take care of her, Icyhot."

That threw him for a loop.

The question in Todoroki's eyes was indubitable as he lifted his head to stare at Bakugou in shock. Why would he say that?

"I—I don't understand," Todoroki furrowed his brow, bewildered by the implications of Bakugou's words. "Shouldn't I be saying that to you?"

Bakugou let go of him, stumbling back with an expression of disappointment plastered in his hardened visage.

"You're fucking stupid as hell, half-and-half." Bakugou's voice dropped to a whisper, sounding defeated and wounded and maybe even something else that Todoroki couldn't classify.

Todoroki stood there, stupefied at the display he just witnessed, as Bakugou shuffled out of the room with his hands back in his pockets and a casually neutral look back on his face.

What was that?

* * *

Yaoyorozu sought him out first thing Monday morning.

She made purposeful steps toward his desk, taking in his slumped figure and reading the conflict in his mismatched eyes.

"Todoroki-san," she addressed respectfully.

He nodded at her in acknowledgement.

"Let's go to the dance together," she stated firmly.

Todoroki was taken aback by her straightforwardness. He didn't even know if he still wanted to go to the dance anymore. His head hurt from all the emotions building up in his chest and truthfully, he was exhausted.

He opened his mouth to say no. "I don't—"

"I wasn't planning on going, either," she cut him off resolutely. At the confused weariness flashing across his face, her eyes softened and her voice warmed considerably. "But it looked like you need some encouragement," she smiled, kind and sincere.

Yaoyorozu had always been a good friend, he thought. She must have sensed his grief over the past week and decided he needed some support.

"And maybe you'll finally figure out whatever's bothering you," she reasoned. Her eyes flickered over to the side, and he followed her line of vision, finding Ochako conversing energetically with Tsuyu.

Oh. She'd always been observant.

Yaoyorozu cocked her head at him, the invitation still hanging in the air between them.

Bakugou's words echoed in his head— _You're stupid as hell, half-and-half_.

And in that instant, he decided he was done with running away. Todoroki nodded decisively at her offer. He was going to the dance tonight, and he was going to figure out how he felt once and for all.

* * *

It was loud.

There were people everywhere—dancing, conversing, having fun.

Yaoyorozu stood by his side, nodding politely at the passer-bys that tried to engage in conversation with her while slowly maneuvering them to the food area.

Todoroki clutched at the throbbing of his head, instantly grateful that she had read his discomfort in loud, social gatherings.

As soon as they approached the buffet, Midoriya spotted and made a beeline straight toward him. "Todoroki!" he greeted, grinning happily. "I didn't think you'd come, but I'm glad you did!"

Todoroki nodded tiredly, already drained from the amount of socializing he had to endure for the entirety of his walk to the food table. It was much easier being with Ochako. She understood his limit for social interaction and being extremely personable herself, carried most of the conversations for him at places like this.

Midoriya promptly engaged in conversation with Yaoyorozu, who had grabbed a drink from the punch bowl and was responding eagerly to Midoriya's natural enthusiasm.

"Where's Asui?" Yaoyorozu was asking Midoriya, who turned to point at the desserts station.

"She's getting some food," he answered, rubbing his neck nervously as his smile turned shy. Ochako had always used to complain the Midoriya was hopeless, especially in romantic situations, but judging by the way his face was steadily becoming the hue of the red cup he was holding, Todoroki thought that he seemed to be doing just fine.

He felt an elbow jab him in the ribs and Todoroki flinched in response, coughing and turning to eye Yaoyorozu darkly.

She gave him a no-nonsense sort of look, motioning toward the wall opposite of where they stood.

Ochako stood alone, a wide beam on her face as she scanned the crowd. Her eyes met his, and his breath caught in his throat.

She had this crazy-looking black rose tucked behind her left ear and gaudy glitter makeup shaping her eyes and her dress was the usual pink, frilly, velvet thing she always wore, but it was all rushing through him so fast—

— _she was so beautiful._

The stunned look on her face was unmistakable, but as he felt his lips slowly quirking into a genuine, soft smile, she couldn't help but smile back.

The moment was broken by her date, looking intimidating dressed in a black vest draped over a wine red dress shirt.

Ochako immediately turned to greet Bakugou, a teasing laugh escaping her as she poked at his formal clothes. He swatted her hand away, looking mildly embarrassed and annoyed at her goading.

And finally, something in his chest broke.

Todoroki spun swiftly on his heel and out the door, missing Ochako's last saddened glance at his back as he left.

* * *

This was it.

Todoroki exhaled deeply as he sat outside, his eyes closed as the wind swept through his hair lightly.

It was hard to deny how he felt anymore.

The feeling used to be so overwhelming that he couldn't think straight, but it was starting to recede into something he was very familiar with.

Disappointment.

Regret.

Sorrow.

He still felt so lost.

He just wanted the feeling to go away. The ache in his heart to just disappear.

"Todoroki?"

A pitter patter of steps was heard from behind him, and Todoroki turned his head to meet Midoriya's concerned gaze.

Todoroki didn't reply, turning back to observe the trees and bushes rustling in the cool air.

A kind, knowing smile formed on Midoriya's face. "It's hard, isn't it?" he reassured gently, head tilted up at the night sky. "Figuring out how you feel."

Todoroki stared hard at his hands. "I still don't know how I feel," he muttered.

Midoriya pursed his lips in a mildly dissatisfied manner, shaking his head at Todoroki's dishonesty. "I think you already do," he replied, reaching out to pat him on the shoulder tenderly.

The wind rippled between them, the whooshing sound accompanying the distant hum of music floating from the dance.

"It doesn't make you weak, you know," Midoriya continued, tipping his chin up as the breeze brushed his face lightly. "Admitting how you feel."

Todoroki inhaled sharply and clenched his fists. It _did_ make him feel weak. He didn't want to admit how he felt, not even to himself, because once he did—it became real.

There was no going back.

But wasn't that the point? There was no use hiding from himself and his feelings. Hadn't he learned that from Midoriya? Todoroki sent his friend a sideways look, slightly amused.

Of course Midoriya was right. He always was.

When had Todoroki known himself to cower at the first sign of trouble, anyway? He could challenge multiple dangerous villains without even flinching, but he was scared of confronting matters of the heart?

No, he was no longer afraid.

Gathering his courage, Todoroki took a deep, steady breath.

"I think I like Ochako."

There was a strangely liberating feeling spreading through his body at his confession. He lifted his gaze to meet Midoriya's, the other boy's face sporting a victory grin in response. Delighted mirth danced in Midoriya's green eyes, and something about his expression told Todoroki that he'd known all along.

"Are you going to tell her?" Midoriya asked innocently.

"I..don't know." There was obvious hesitation in Todoroki's answer. "I think it's unrequited," he explained slowly, and he hoped he didn't look as dejected as he felt.

There was a flash of something—(was it bewilderment?)—across Midoriya's face and his lips curled into a wry smile. "You don't know until you try," Midoriya encouraged, folding his arms across the crisp fold of his burgundy suit. "Besides, you still haven't apologized to her yet. Maybe it would be better to explain how you feel. She would understand."

Todoroki supposed that was true. It was unfair to keep her in the dark when his lack of control over his emotions was the cause of her suffering in the first place. He thought he owed her an explanation, at the very least.

Her smile, bright and vivid, flickered through his mind.

It would be alright.

At the baseline, they were the best of friends. He knew Ochako was kind and forgiving, and she would never let his unrequited feelings ruin the precious friendship they'd spent the last few years building.

"Yeah," Todoroki agreed. Midoriya clumsily gave him two thumbs up with a large, cheesy grin on his face and he looked so silly that Todoroki couldn't help but crack a small smile.

They spent the rest of the night talking about nothing and absolutely everything and laughing so hard their sides hurt and Todoroki had never been more grateful of Midoriya's unwavering presence in his life.

As Todoroki drifted off to sleep that night, he felt more content than he had felt all week.

It was going to be okay.

* * *

Todoroki woke up an hour before his alarm, feeling a bit disconcerted despite the events that had occurred last night. He decided to take a walk through the building to clear his thoughts before he had to get ready for class.

Even though he'd had a decent night of sleep, he still woke with a twisting feeling in his stomach and it wouldn't let him fall back asleep. His body probably knew he was nervous.

As he stared at his feet, he thought about all that he could say. How would she react? Would this ruin their friendship? Was this even a good idea?

Before he could run into the wall in front of him, Todoroki raised his head and stopped, startled, and saw that his feet had unconsciously lead him straight toward what occupied his thoughts: Ochako's dorm.

He stared blankly at the door with her name printed neatly on it, cursing inwardly at his body's honest response to his muddled feelings.

The door swung open. Before he could even react, Ochako appeared in the doorway, looking sleepy, with her gym bag in one hand and a water bottle in the other.

She noticed him and almost jumped back twenty feet in shock. "Shouto-kun?" She asked, a little bewildered that he was at her doorstep at 8 AM in the morning.

Todoroki was still staring, dumbfounded by the way this situation was playing out.

"I'm sorry," he said.

Ochako looked shocked and mildly confused. She took a step back into her room, gesturing inside with her hand. "Uh, why don't you come in first?" She suggested.

He stepped into her room and reached around to shut the door behind him. She dropped her bag and water bottle onto her table, before turning around to face him, her body taking up a defensive stance.

Todoroki exhaled to calm his nerves. "I'm sorry," he repeated. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

There was a tense silence while Ochako scrutinized his face, seemingly still upset. And suddenly, like a switch, her stony expression melted into a gentle smile.

"It's okay," she replied airily, with a strangely fond look on her face. "I know you didn't mean it. I could never stay mad at you for long, anyway." She laughed, and Todoroki hadn't realized how much he missed _this_ —this easy, comfortable friendship between them—until he'd been stupid enough to push it away.

Ochako punched his arm teasingly and tilted her head up at him with a brilliant smile (God, he'd missed that smile) and launched into a story about how her room was a mess and how she hadn't even put her dress away from last night and how could they still have class today? She was rambling, but Todoroki felt so much relief—things were finally back to normal.

But there was still a nagging feeling at the back of his mind. Things were finally back to normal, but was this what he wanted? Was this fair to her?

As he watched her flit around her room, gesturing to the lumps of clothing and trinkets scattered on her floor as she talked animatedly, Todoroki realized that he not only wanted her friendship, he wanted _much, much more_.

And maybe she didn't feel the same way. But she deserved to know.

"—we were watching Kendo stuck in the middle between Monoma-kun and Tetsutetsu-kun and it was quite the triangle! Honestly, I don't know who I would've picked—"

"I wanted to go to the dance with you."

Ochako stopped abruptly, peering at Todoroki in shock at his interruption. "What?" she asked, blinking widely.

He paused, sighing.

"We always go together, so I didn't think much about it. But then you asked Bakugou and I was confused and honestly, a little betrayed and then you invited him to the zoo and it was suffocating and—" Todoroki closed his eyes and rubbed at his face, frustrated.

Now _he_ was rambling. Ridiculous.

Todoroki steeled himself and looked up at Ochako, making steady eye contact. She now had her jaw dropped, speechless.

It was now or never.

"What I'm trying to say is," he swallowed thickly. "I like you, Ochako."

Her eyes widened slowly.

A jolt of panic rushed through him, and he felt the sudden need to do damage control. "I know you don't feel the same way, and it's alright. I don't want this to negatively affect our friendship—"

"What?" Her expression morphed from shock to confusion.

Todoroki ran a hand through his hair, trying to find the right words. "You and Bakugou—I know how you feel about him, so—"

"What? How I feel about Bakugou?" Ochako was shaking her head, still looking stunned.

"—I just wanted you to know how I felt," Todoroki finished lamely. He'd had this speech prepared, but as soon as he saw her, he had blanked. He didn't know if anything he had said made any sense.

She stared at him.

And suddenly, she gasped.

He watched as realization finally bloomed on her face, her cheeks starting to flush a pretty pink and her mouth beginning to form a shy smile.

"You're incredibly difficult, you know?" She asked, with the widest grin he'd ever seen on her face. Her brown eyes were warm and affectionate as she gazed at him. "I like you too, silly."

What?

He was floored.

Ochako pursed her lips lightly, watching him with an amused expression. She stepped closer into his space, sliding her arms around his torso in a tight hug. Todoroki unconsciously reciprocated, resting his hands on her back.

"I've always liked you, Shouto-kun," she mumbled into his chest.

And like a flower unfurls and breathes the first breath of spring, something in his chest unfurled and swelled. He had never been able to breathe easier.

 _She liked him back_.

The anxiety disappeared from his gut, his throat felt numbly clear, and the only indication that his organs were working was the irregular stuttering of his heart. He felt like he was floating, slowly lifting off the ground and getting ready to soar—

"Shouto-kun!" Ochako was panicking, grabbing him tighter, and he realized that he was actually beginning to float toward the ceiling.

"Ahh! Release!" She brought her hands together to release her quirk, and the momentum of her tight grasp caused him to tumble right into her, landing them both sprawled on the futon behind her.

Todoroki recovered quickly and sat up, observing Ochako as she lay stretched out on the futon next to him, giggling endlessly and clutching her stomach. He watched her laugh, a soft, happy smile quirking up on his lips.

Ochako wiped the tears from her eyes from laughing so hard. As she ceased her laughing fit, her face turned to gaze up at him.

He gave her a genuine smile in return, holding out his hand.

Ochako took it, and he pulled her up into a sitting position. Her hair was mussed and her clothes were rumpled and disheveled, but her eyes were twinkling with happiness and affection.

As he looked at her, all he could think was that _nothing could compare to this_. So Todoroki cupped her face with one hand, leaned in, and kissed her.

* * *

heyyyy! thanks for getting to the end! i hoped you enjoyed that longass oneshot! :)

-soybeanprophecy


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